When the Deer Run
by Nigtalea
Summary: ."If ever it happens again you will tell me straight away. Won't you?" I nodded. I would have told him then, but now? I'm fifteen, I'm not going to run to Inoichi for help again on such trivial matters.
1. This was a Triumph

_**Authors Notes:-**_ apologies for yet another story but my computer broke down and I'm having to use my brothers. As a result, I have lost the next chapter in each of my stories until my computer is fixed and I'm too rejected and lazy to re-right them. So sorry but I'll probably only update this one for a while. Also I will try to carry this one on quicker than any other as well. … Well that'll only be if you review. I have the next two chapters written but I'm not posting them until some one reviews on this chapter.

Anyways this is my first Naruto fan fic so enjoy and I apologise for any OOC's but there is a reason behind that which will be explained later in the story.

Anyways enjoy!

**Disclaimer:**- Don't own Naruto.

**Warning:**- May up the rating later for violence and such but at the same time may not. Let's just see.

_**Please Read And Review Even If You Don't Like It.**_

_**If you don't like it please tell me why and I'll try to improve.**_

_**I take criticism Very well.**_

**When the Deer Run**

**Chapter 1**

**This was a Triumph**

All my life I felt helpless.

I was never good at anything.

I was raised at home. I was raised alone. I was raised to love and respect the deer as if they where gods or at least the messengers of such.

I was raised by my mother. My father never cared for me. I was always a disappointment to the clan, my father in particular. I was raised as a genius. I was expected to be a genius. When I was still a baby and was developing slower and later than any average baby was, my parents became worried. I guess that was when my father gave up on me. I could never pleas him with anything I ever did. He just shrugged off m first steps. He didn't care less when I said my first word.

He was never there for me when I needed him.

Then one day everything changed.

My father had to go away for a long time, so did my mum. Mum told me that I had to stay at their friend's house for a while. I had never left the clans grounds so I was scared. Our clan's house was surrounded by woods. I never went in there much. I was scared of the dark back then. Ha! Crazy isn't it? To think of me being scared of the dark but I was.

Mother told me that I was going to be staying with the 'Yamanaka' clan. Apparently, I would be staying with in particular with one Yamanaka Inoichi. According to Mum, he was one of father's best friends, his wife one of mother's best friends as well and they also had a daughter around my age.

I was worried at first. I had never met anyone outside of my own clan and now I would be staying with a strange family I had never met for **two weeks**. How troublesome.

I had been lectured by Mum on my manners and by the time I had arrived there, I was prepared for a horrible few weeks. As such when I got there and the first thing that the family did was make me feel welcome and as if I was just an extension to their family I was quite surprised.

After that day onwards, I had never been alone again. Inoichi acted like I was told a father should act towards their children. I had an annoying 'little sister' and I made friends with another boy who I also sometimes stayed with while my parents where away.

I loved it.

But he still was never there for me when I needed him.

Shaking my head slightly I straightened up in my chair and picked up my pen again that I had dropped.

I just do that sometimes, just blank out and think about life, the universe and everything. It gets troublesome when I do it while I'm in the middle of something like now.

Sighing I looked back down at my report on my latest mission and try to pick it off smoothly from where I left it before blanking out. Oh, yeah, expenses… how much did Chouji eat while we where out?

As I tried to count up the how much we had spent while on the mission I heard he door open and close.

_Well, Dad's home. Mum's not coming home for another month or two, right? This is going to be _so _much fun._

"Hey, kid! You gonna say hi to your old man or wha?"

As I thought of dealing with my father while he had clearly been drinking, I let out an exasperated sigh. I knew it was the wrong thing to do but I couldn't help myself. It was eleven at night, I had just come home from a very long, tedious but easy mission and I wanted to just get this report done and go to bed. Seems my 'darling' father had other ideas.

"What was that for? You should respect your elders. Maybe I need to teach you some manners." And with that, he smashed his bottle of sake over my head.

Crying out I fell to the floor. Clutching my bleeding head, I look up at him shocked. He hadn't hit me in years and that was on nothing as trivial as this. He had never made me bleed from one hit either.

"Aw, did that hurt? Did I make the baby cry?" He asked sarcastically as he kicked me in the gut.

"Shut up!" I hissed through gritted teeth trying not to seem as weak as I did. Even when drunk my father was stronger and _better_ than me.

"**Need I remind you of your manners?!**"

_Great, he's shouted. I'm never going to make it out of here without injury now._

Braising for the blow that came a second after he yelled I silently prayed to the deer that this will be over soon. Pity my prayers are never heard or at least are never answered. The beating went on for an eternity. All I could do was curl up in the smallest ball I could manage and try to protect my head from to constant rain of hits and kicks.

After he was sure he had damaged every part of me he could reach the drunken man reached down and grabbed my neck lifting me of the ground and swinging me against the wall. Struggling, I grabbed hold of his wrist and tried to pull it off in a vain attempt to regain some air from the strangling grasp.

I watched scared as the man grinned sadistically and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"Why don't you stop struggling now or you're just gonna be in even more trouble. You where always such a disappointment, but even a brainless child like you should be able to tell that that would be the smart move here." Wincing slightly I tried to move away but the hand around my neck prevented that from happening.

"Don't tell anyone about this and I promise I won't do the worst I can which I promise I will do." With that, he let go and I fell to the floor in a heap. I just lay there not moving watching him leave the room to go to bed probably.

Sighing I attempted to get and eventually made it back to the table with the idea of finishing the report so I could hand it in first thing in the morning, before my father woke up. When I got there I noticed that that last option was out of order because of the blood splattered over it. I'd have to re right it and I couldn't be bothered right now.

_How troublesome._

**Click Here For Cake**

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	2. Huge Success

**When the Deer Run**

**Chapter 2**

**Huge Success**

Well, the morning plan failed.

I got up early before the sun rose to re-right to report and deliver it to the Hokage but father was there. I could have sworn he was waiting for me but it wasn't to apologise.

He repeated the events of last night but it lasted another extra hour. It hurt to even grimace as I cleaned the blood off me before heading out. It had hurt A LOT more today, I hadn't even noticed if he had been drinking all night and was still drunk or sober but it didn't matter. For some reason as well, I didn't know why, but no one could find out what he had done, no one.

It has been two weeks now since it began. Once a day every day, he would just appear and beat me, always worse than before. Sometimes it would happen twice or even thrice a day.

I had no escape and no excuse for going home. Once I tried to stay with Choji for the night but my _father _came looking for me and took me home where he pound me even more than ever before. I didn't have the escape of being on a mission either because after Asuma died Tsunade had only given them small quick missions if any. She said they needed to train.

It reminds me of the only other time Dad beat me like this.

I was nine. It was autumn. I had been staying with the Yamanaka's for about a week. Something was wrong, I knew that much. Mum hadn't left on a mission and Dad was due to return from a mission about a week ago. Inoichi was out most of the time yet he wasn't on a mission either. According to Choji, his dad was just the same. Once I over heard Inoichi complaining that 'there was no consoling him' to his wife. That did it. I'd figured it out. Someone had been injured, badly.

Two days after I had figured this out Mum came round. She talked to Inoichi and his wife for a long time. By this point I was getting bored so I went to the door way to listen. They didn't notice me leaning against the frame until I spoke. I asked who was injured. They all looked at me. I remember their faces. They where full of a mixture of pain, fear, uncertainty and surprise. It scared me.

Inoichi's wife was the first to recover. "One of your father's friends has been badly wounded and is in hospital."

"That can't just be it. Dad won't be as effected as you say he is for just that. Besides, if he's at the hospital they'll be able to heal him."

I remember my mother sighing and telling the other grownups that it was hopeless to lie to me and I'd figure it out anyway. Another sigh, this time from Inoichi.

"Fine," he turned to me. "'kay kid, here's what happened. Your dad went out on a mission with a highly trained squad under his command. Something happened on that mission. Something bad. We don't know what yet because your father is in no state to talk at the moment but what we do know was that your father was the only one to get away uninjured."

"You said that only one of his friends where in the hospital. Does that mean the other two died?"

"Yes, it does."

"And father blames himself for being the only one uninjured, right?"

"I'm afraid so."

"How troublesome."

All the time Inoichi and I had been talking the women had been silent, just listening to us. But now we where done Mum stood up and said it was time to go. Leaving I could tell that Dad was in a bad way but I wasn't prepared for how bad he actually was.

When I got home Mum was called to the Hokage's office so I was left alone in the house with Dad. I didn't think about it much. I just went up to my room to lie on the bed and watch the clouds go by through the window.

My dad had come up stairs to see what I was doing. He had been drinking heavily. When he saw me doing nothing in particular he got angry. He hit me. I cried out. He hit me again. I started tearing up. He raised his hand to hit me again but I jumped out the window and ran away.

I quickly ran into Inoichi in the forest, he had come to check up on my father. He asked why I was crying, then he saw the bruises that where starting to appear on my cheek. I told him Dad had been drinking and hit me. Inoichi then gave me a hug and told me that if it ever happened again I was to leave immediately and go to his house. He told me my dad was dangerous when he drank on his own, especially now. I knew he was telling the truth so I didn't argue when he told me to go straight back to his house and to stay there for the night. He told me he'll go talk to my father.

It carried on like that for about a week. My mum had been called out yet again on a mission and I spent most of my time with Yamanaka's. It stopped though. It stopped soon after Dad was put back in his old team with Inoichi and his other best friend, and father of Choji, Choza.

It never happened again after that until now, even though Inoichi had told me strictly that if it even looked like it would happen again to go to him instantly. I don't know why I didn't go to him this time. I just didn't.

_**Authors Notes:-**_ Don't ask me why I didn't put this at the top I just didn't.

Anyways I know this is a tiny chapter but they will be longer I promise. Also I wanted this chapter to be primarily about Shikamaru's past experiences and memories so I didn't want to make it any longer. Another thing about Shikamaru's memories, his dad's friend in hospital died and his dad thinks it was because of his lack of leadership at the time that's why he talked to Shikamaru about the whole 'if the leader isn't there ALL your friends would have DIED' thing after Sasuke left, also his dad got his scars in that mission (they could have been healed but he refused).

See, I think about my characters past A LOT!!!

Oh and one more thing - chapter titles! They may be a bit confusing but they are all lines/quotes from one of my favourite songs at the moment: 'Still alive', theme tune of Portal which is BRILLIANT! Go play it… **NOW**!

**Warning:**- I have decided that this story will be from different peoples perspectives. As a result the next few chapters are from Inoichi's point of view. **You have been Warned.**

_**HAY!!! WHAT'S THAT BIG GREEN BUTTON DOWN THERE?**_

_**I WOUNDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU PRESS IT.**_

!!!!!

!!!!

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	3. For the Good of All of Us

**When the Deer Run**

**Chapter 3**

**For the Good of All of Us**

Red, red, red, red...

I'm going round in a BIG red circle.

Red, red, red, red…

"Ino, you actually going to stop walking round and sit down or do you wish to see if you can erode a giant circle in the floor before Shika comes?"

"Not now Chou."

"No, really though, you must have walked round this entire floor over ten times by now."

"Their fault for making it circular."

"Really now?"

Laughing with my old, _slightly _obese friend, I stopped and looked up at him. We had both been called to the Hokage's office along side Shika which only meant one thing…

"So," I said leaning against the wall next to him, "What do you think this mission is gonna be?"

"I dunno but it's gonna be … amusing if we're back together again."

"I miss our old Ino-Shika-Chou trio."

"Ditto."

"Inoichi! Chouza!" Damn! Hokage-sama sounds angry. This is gonna be an _interesting_ briefing.

Standing up, through the door, dodge the breakable what-ever-it-was that she through at us, stand to attention, apologize for Shika not being there... All that was standard and something that always seems to happen to us lately when ever we enter this office except the apologizing for Shika bit. Normally we're apologizing for what ever else we've done or haven't done.

Sighing she looks up at us. _Holy! Is she gonna start without Shika here!? This is big what ever it is!_

"We have a problem. There is a threat reported to be heading Konoha's way. It is very likely that it is already here or at least a part of the threat has somehow entered the village."

_Knew it! _"Um… what type of threat?"

"We don't now yet."

"You mean to say we have a spy/traitor in the village for an unknown threat?"

"Yes."

"Oh this is gonna be classic!" I mutter to Chou.

Grimacing slightly Chou looked at the Hokage and spoke for the first this meeting, "What do you want us to do?"

"I wish for you three (so can you tell Shikaku this please) to find our little intruder and if possible get as much information as possible out of him. As soon as you locate him report straight back to me."

"Yes sir!"

That had been this morning. We had tried to get a hold of Shika but he said he wasn't feeling well so didn't come and see us. We didn't bother any more with trying to get him to help. Even if he was sick or not if he didn't want to come out, he wouldn't come out. I'll try again later though.

But until then…

"Hey! Dad!" Yelled my daughter waving at me and running over with Chouji and Shikamaru close behind as she began her usual wining. "Dad! Shikamaru won't let me have a look at Asuma's lighter! I know he has it! I saw him with it yesterday!"

"I'm sure he'd be willing to give it to you if you stop complaining." Turning with a scowl to Chouji, she began raving at him about how life was unfair. Laughing at Chouji's expression and Chouza's sudden interest in the ground by his feet I glance at Shikamaru.

_He looks just like his dad_, I marvel as he stared up at the sky and clouds, hands stuffed in his pockets and a casual, unconcerned, almost bored look on his face. Smirking I can think of the time that I first saw Shika doing this. But the smirk quickly faded into a frown when I saw a slight tinge of purple on his check that I had never noticed before. It looked almost like a bruise.

"Shikamaru…" He didn't make any movements but I knew he was listening to me so I continued not even knowing what I was going to say. "How ya doing? I haven't heard you talk lately, not even once. So you alright?"

I know he's not and he knows I know. I also know he did hear me so if he dares ignore me or says he's fine I will **not** be a happy pig.

"Hey! You two! Get a move on! Chouji and Chouza have invited us to dinner at their place. Get a move on!" Looking back at my daughter who was now waving at us from over by the tree line with Chouza and his son I grinned. She may deny that she has a thing for the boy but, call it fathers intuition, she is doing her very best to make her chubby _friend _jealous even if she realizes it yet or not.

Before I could answer, a small voice next to me muttered something about going home and turned to leave.

"Oh, come on Shikamaru." Glancing back at the other three, I note Chouza's frown, Ino's confused and Chouji's slightly hurt expressions. "It'll be fun besides we can't eat all the food by our selves."

"You're gonna have to try then." He muttered back.

"Shikamaru…" Began Chouza's son as he walk back to Shikamaru.

"**No** Chouji. I have to go home."

"You don't **have** to do anything," I corrected already knowing this was going to be a losing battle, "and as I said it'll be fun and you seem in need of a bit of fun lately. What do you say?"

"No."

And with that simple statement Shika's boy walk off in the other direction.

_Oh gods, this can't be good._

_**Authors Notes:- **_I was gonna add another scene on the end of this but it was taking too long to write, no inspiration was coming to me and I could not, for the life of me, figure out a way to make this chapter better and less … awkward. I also tried to maker this chapter more light-hearted 'cause I always imagine Inoichi to be a light-hearted kind of guy. Also Inoichi called himself a pig at one point, don't worry, it's just 'Ino' means boar. You'll see a lot of references to Ino-Shika-Chou (which means Boar-Deer-Butterfly) in this story.

Anyways I promise I'll update more regularly and try to make the next chapter and improvement on this one. Oh and the next chapter will be from Shikamaru's point of view again.

Hope you enjoyed this failure of a chapter but I needed it to explain a lot about the future story. I think it's pretty obvious now what is about to happen, well not instantly but the vague jist of the next few chapters, lets see if anyone gets it =P.

_**Click Here For Cake**_

_**Don't Click Here For Pickled Eggs**_

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	4. Except the Ones who are Dead

**When the Deer Run**

**Chapter 4**

**Except the Ones Who Are Dead**

POV – Shikamaru

The forest was dark, cold and wet as the fog closed in but that was the least of my worries. I had to get home as quickly as possible without my _'father' _noticing me or Inoichi getting their first to talk to my father about me. I had cut it close just now when he had clearly noticed some of my marks (he was always good at seeing through disguises and lies).

"Shikamaru."

I am really loosing my touch for me not to notice him following me.

"Shikamaru…" repeated Inoichi placing a hand on my shoulder.

I froze. I like Inoichi. I really do. He's like a second father to me. But… It would kill him if he heard what his best friend was doing; I couldn't hurt him like that.

"What's the matter? You hurt Chouji, badly. He's your best mate. You love him as a brother and I know you would never hurt him. So why did you?"

What do I tell him? 'Your best mate, my father, is beating me to a pulp with no explanation _while sober_'? Something tells me that isn't going to go down well.

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"That's the response of someone who is **not** fine."

"…"

"…"

"It's nothing I can't deal with." And with that I left, ignoring Chouza appearing just behind Inoichi and a few dear as I went.

POV – Ino

Food!

The low table was covered in it. I couldn't see the dark wood anymore.

The table was coated in food but at the same time it was empty. No one was here. The table which can hold nine people comfortably had only two sat around it now.

I looked over at Chouji. It was horrible to watch him having a full plate of food and only picking at it. I looked down at my own and noticed that I had barely eaten anything either. Chouji's house was the only place I ever ate a proper meal and scrapped my diet entirely. We where alone at the table which just made it worse.

Something was wrong with Shikamaru. I'd noticed something was off this morning but that didn't prepare me for his sudden departure. Our dads had gone after him. I'd wanted to go with them but Chouza was very determined that we left him alone for a bit.

I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

Sighing again I get up and move over to Couji's side. Rapping my arms around his large form I hug him.

We just sit there for a while. Hugging. Hoping. Hoping Shika was alright.

POV – Shikamaru

I ran up to the house and ran through the door.

He wasn't in the first room.

I ran through the corridor.

He wasn't in the corridor.

I ran through the kitchen.

He wasn't in the kitchen.

I ran through the Dojo.

He wasn't in the Dojo.

I ran out the back.

He wasn't in the back.

I ran through the door into my new room at the back of the house.

He was there.

The pain came almost instantly. After a few minutes I was on the floor again. I was bleeding from almost every point he could reach. My arms where over my head protecting it enough for me to vaguely register where the blows were landing. But then it changed.

Something hard, something metal hit the crown of my head. It had only been the flat of the kunai but it had been enough. I started and momentarily lost my defensive position due to pain and surprise giving him the opening he had been looking for.

He grabbed me and punched me in the face sending my head crashing into the table. Black spots began to appear in my vision as I fell to the floor and everything went grey.

I couldn't move. I didn't have the energy to even protect myself anymore.

I felt him draw nearer. He dug his knee into my chest and put his hand around my neck, choking me.

I couldn't see anymore.

I couldn't hear anymore.

I couldn't breathe anymore.

POV – Inoichi

I just stood there and watched in shock.

Shika ... my best friend ... Shikaku ... was ... beating his ... his ... son.

Clenching my fists tightly I can't do anything except stare towards the open door of the back room now serving as Shikamaru's room. I knew Chouza was looking at the same scene with the same thoughts going through his head. As we watched Shikamaru flew backwards into the table. Then as Shikaku approached his son both of us saw at the same time what had given our old friend such an advantage.

He had drawn a kunai. Before I even knew I'd left the branch I was in the door and dragging Shikaku off his son. I was failing until Chouza caught up and helped. While Chou pinned the mad man down sufficiently I ran over to Shikamaru.

He looked bad.

Very bad.

Spinning round I took up a defensive stance with my body between Shikaku and the unmoving Shikamaru. I wasn't a med nin, nor was I genius, I had no idea what was going on or how to help the beaten kid.

I narrowed my eyes.

Shikaku, Chouza and I had been working in a team together for the majority of our life now; we knew each other like the back of our hand and hardly needed to do anything for the other to get what we wanted.

Today was no exception.

Chouza instantly straightened up and held the increasingly struggling deer herder as still as he could; lining our friend up for my shot.

The hand signs came quick and swift. They flowed naturally from one to the other. It was almost no time at all before I was in Shikaku's mind.

At first I was at the for-front of the genius' head. I was looking out of his eyes, seeing mine and the kid's bodies' slumped by the wall. I could feel Chouza's iron grip slacken slightly when I stilled Shikaku's body.

"Don't." I whispered before turning my attention inward.

I had been in Shikaku's head once before and the first thought that came to me then was that it was just so cramped (comes with being a genius). Compared to now though that was like being alone in a field, this is suffocating.

It didn't take long to locate the source of the problem. There was a third mind in there. In fact it took me a while for me to even locate Shikaku's conscience mind. And when I did locate it I lost my grip on his mind all together. There was no need for the invading mind to kick me out.

I'd seen enough.

Gasping and crying I returned to my body. Shakily getting to my feet I looked the now calm Shikaku straight in the eye.

"Knock him out, Chouza. I think we found our spy."

_**Author's Note:- **_I am so sorry this took so long to update but life hated me. I know I've said 'life hates' me for absolutely ages as an excuse but it really did for about a year and a bit. I'm so sorry but hopefully I will be back and running from now on. My other stories are still on hold but I really want to get this one completed before I do anything else because it seems to have had the most feedback. I'm so sorry this took so long, please forgive me!

Anyways, I hope you liked the end of this chappy. I think it was alright for once. Still, next should be up soon. And be warned, I'm hoping Naruto will be making his grand entry in it so don't say you haven't been warned.

_**Cake's still on offer for all who click here...!**_

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	5. There's no sense crying

**When the Deer Run**

**Chapter 5**

**There's no Sense Crying**

POV – Inoichi

Red, red, red, red...

I was walking down a BIG red corridor.

Red, red, red, red...

Me and Chouza were heading to the same office we were at earlier that morning.

The big man was walking a few steps behind me, not speaking.

I was pacing up the corridor just in front of my partner with my head bowed, not speaking.

We hadn't spoken since we came from the Nara clan grounds. Chouza went home briefly to make sure his wife kept our children there. Otherwise we went straight to the hospital. We were ordered to the Hokage's office almost before we even stepped through the door.

I don't think I have been this worried about anyone for a long time. Not only for Shikamaru (unconscious in one of the hospital's many rooms) but for Shikaku as well. What I saw was worrying me.

Before I knew it we were outside of the Hokage's door. Without hesitation we stepped through the door.

Tsunade was sat in her chair with her back to them, looking out the window. She didn't turn around or say anything when they entered. Shizune stood quietly in the corner holding her spoiled pig while both Jiraiya and Kakashi leaned against the opposite wall. The only acknowledgment we got as we entered the room was Kakashi turning his head to look at us slightly.

We stood there in silence for a while before the Hokage spoke up, never looking at us, from behind the desk.

"What happened?"

Neither of us answered at first. It was hard to put into words.

Getting up, she turned to look at us and try again.

"Why? Why are two of my best strategists in the hospital and under armed guard? And also who is the guard for, may I ask?"

Swallowing hard, I replied, "Shikaku and Shikamaru Nara are in the hospital because they are in need of medical attention. We requested ANBU guard be put around them because we have a feeling someone is going to attack Shikamaru and it may very well end up being his father that does so."

That got their attention. Tsunade looked went very pale and pursed her lips. Shizune had a hand over her mouth. Kakashi's one visible eye widened and Jiraiya simply looked at us.

It was Jiraiya this time that broke the silence.

"Why?"

It was a simple question with no simple answer.

Slowly Chouza related the events of the past few hours to them. From when we received our new mission to when we were summoned to this office now.

By the end Kakashi was frowning.

"So Shikaku was an abusive father then, AND a spy in the village (presumably harming Shikamaru because he found out that he was a spy or something)? Are you sure on this?"

"I don't..."

"It wasn't Shikaku."

All eyes were on me now. Interrupting Chouza had never been something I was ever found of doing, and they knew it, but I couldn't let my friend be blamed for this.

"Explain," demanded Tsunade.

"When I entered Shikaku's mind I wasn't the only one there. There was someone else; someone else who was in control of his body and has been attempting to gain this control for quite some time. I don't know much about this person but they were using a similar technique to mine. Shikaku has not been in control of his own body for, at least, two weeks."

Again, pure silence. This time, though, I could practically hear the cogs in all their brains turning.

Still frowning, Kakashi hit the cord which I was trying to avoid.

"So where's Shikaku then? What happened to his conscience?"

Taking a big breath I tried to form the words. I failed.

"Take your time."

Giving Jiraiya a grateful smile, I tried again.

"Shikaku... Shikaku was still there. ... He was just ... just ... hiding. He was hiding in the corner of his mind. It ... You know when a child is scared, on their first day at the academy or something, and they curl up in a corner of the room and try to not be seen. And you know how sometimes you can tell that kid is being bullied or something because he has a bruise or a cut or he's just mentally not that well. That kid was basically Shikaku in his mind but it was worse. Far worse. He is that kid if the kid was bleeding none stop and had no area of him not covered in bruises. He has clearly been mentally tortured by this guy for a while and it has broken him. I'm terrified for both of the Nara's mental health but, honestly, I'm more worried for Shikaku at the moment."

Silence reigned once more.

POV – Sakura

I practically ran from the hospital to the Yamanaka's flower shop. When Mrs. Yamanaka told me Ino was at Chouji's house, I ran there. I completely ignored Naruto until he demanded to know why we were running, after he had come to talk me into training with him at the hospital. Actually, scratch that, I ignored him then as well.

We found Ino and Chouji round the back talking and chucking a few kunai at a post.

It looked, for all the world, like they were just messing around until Shikamaru turned up. It was probably what they were doing. They clearly had no idea.

Noticing their arrival, Chouji stood up while Ino wave and called them over. Happy to be with his friends after several intense days of training, Naruto ran over to them and began dancing round. I just waved and walked over slowly.

_I don't know what to say. Their parents know but they haven't told them yet. What if they don't want their children to know? What if I got it wrong? No. I definitely saw correctly. But how will they react? What if I'm doing the wrong thing?_

"Saku-u-ura?" sang Ino in a sing-song voice pulling me back to the present.

"Ha! Leave her Ino. She's probably going over some medical jitsu in her head or something," laughed Naruto. "Now, how 'bout we find Shikamaru and go get some Ramen?"

A general cheer went up but I knew I had to say something.

"Umm... I don't think Shikamaru will be joining us."

"What? Why?" demanded Ino.

"Umm... I may be wrong but when I was in the hospital just now I was told my shift was being covered so didn't have to come to work today. I didn't think much of it but when I was talking with one of the nurses I saw someone who looked like Shikamaru be wheeled past one a bed. Also while we were leaving I heard some nurses talk about some form of attack down at the Nara clan grounds."

The wind stirred the dead leaves at their feet as everyone there put the pieces together in their head.

When it clicked Ino and Naruto began to protest, insisting they needed to go back to the hospital. Luckily for me Chouji was on the same wavelength as I was and helped me get them to go out for Ramen. Eventually we got there and sat down without the two blonds trying to run off to the hospital.

I glanced over at Chouji as I ate my blow of noodles and sauce. It was hard on him. I could tell from the way he sat and only poked at his food that he wanted as much as the rest of us to just run out of here and find out what really happened. But, more than that, he wanted me to be wrong.

I hope I was wrong too.

_**Author's Notes:- **_What one earth am I on? A second post within a month! I'm on a role! Seriously though, I am taking this story so much more seriously now and I am doing it basically every evening. This will hopefully mean that I will update more often but at the same time this could just be a one off so I'm really sorry if that is the case.

I don't really like this chapter but it is more of a filler chapter because you have to know what everyone else thinks and what Inoichi saw in more detail. Also I did promise Naruto's dramatic entrance in this chapter but it didn't quite work out that way. I tried making it more dramatic and from Naruto's point of view but it just didn't work, so sorry.

Special thanks to XxGaaraXRukixX and all my other loyal reviewers that for some reason have endless patience with me. Love you guys that have reviewed loads and please review on this chappy too.

_**Cake still on offer...**_

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